heaven knows

A form of God knows — It is only known to God; it is unknown to people.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

phrase
  1. alternativeAlternative form of God knows.

    In olden days, a glimpse of stockings / Was looked on as something shocking; / Now, heaven knows, / Anything goes.

    1934, Cole Porter, “Anything Goes”
    3 more examples

    Be content with the knowledge that, ere the voyage had ended, both she and I were desperately and unreasoningly in love with one another. Heaven knows that I can make the admission now without one particle of vanity.

    1888, Rudyard Kipling, “The Phantom Rickshaw”, in The Phantom 'Rickshaw and Other Tales, Allahabad: A.H. Wheeler and Co., page 10

    And heaven knows I really miss him more / Than anyone I really loved before / And I know, I'm so lost without his heart

    1969, “Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now”, performed by Sandie Shaw

    I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour / But heaven knows I'm miserable now / I was looking for a job and then I found a job / And heaven knows I'm miserable now

    1984, Morrissey & Johnny Marr, “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”, in Hatful of Hollow, performed by The Smiths
Cite this entry
APA

heaven knows. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heaven%20knows

MLA

“heaven knows.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heaven%20knows. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heaven knows,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heaven%20knows.

Source: heaven knows on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.